This summer, Vancouver was hit with the worst drought in recent memory. Stage three watering restrictions were enforced for the first time in years. For gardeners like me, this meant that the usual watering methods – like soaker hoses on timers – were now illegal. Hand-watering, or using spring-loaded hose nozzles, were the only options….

Salad greens are arguably the most worthwhile of all vegetables to grow at home. With just a few pots on a small, shady balcony, you can achieve a steady supply of arugula, spinach, baby lettuce, mustards and mesclun mix. Greens have a very short shelf-life (think of the slimy mixes you’ve inevitably purchased at the…

Until recently, I wasn’t a big mulcher. I was confused by how to apply it in our small, densely planted space. I was daunted by the prospect of stockpiling large amounts of organic matter each year. I made a few attempts, but didn’t really get it. Until this summer. With our current stage 3 watering…

It’s the height of summer. In our garden, things are doing surprisingly well, despite the severe drought and Stage 3 watering restrictions Vancouver currently faces. I credit our rich soil for that. It soaks up water like a sponge with just the minimal hand-watering we’ve been doing every few days. Yesterday, I tried giving a…

Gardening gives us a front-row seat to changes in our climate and weather. Plants are incredibly sensitive to variations in temperature and daylight, and by observing them closely, we can get cues about our surroundings that would otherwise fall below human perception. The timing of opening flowers, ripening fruit, pest invasions and germinating seeds tell…

Pardon the cliche, but I really can’t believe it’s almost July already. On Saturday morning, while picking an overwhelming amount of peas, I thought back to March and the excitement I had when I first planted this year’s seeds. Would they sprout? Would I get a decent harvest? It seemed to take forever for those plants to…

About me

My name is Rebecca Cuttler and I’m passionate about growing vegetables in the city. I’m an urban gardening teacher for Hollyhock, Houzz.com contributor, writer for the Vancouver Observer, co-host of Fabulous Urban Gardens on Roundhouse Radio 98.3 and member of the Vancouver Food Policy Council. I grow a huge amount of vegetables on a small lot in Vancouver, B.C., and my mission is to share my love of urban food gardening with the world.